The first official round of the 2026 Northern Hickory Tour took place last Friday at the Osprey Links Golf Course. This yearly trek up north by the Golf Historical Society of Canada (GHSC) is a must attend event that is open to any golfer looking to try something new. Osprey Links is a must stop location for the Northern Tour and again this year the course did not disappoint. Osprey Links is a must play course if you are in the area of North Bay, Ontario, as it offers a unique opportunity to play a links style course on the front and typical northern design cut through the Great Canadian Shield.

With 18 players participating at Osprey Links, the competition was in full gear. All the golfers have played Osprey Links before and we all found the greens to be in fantastic shape, but very fast! It was a challenge putting on these fast greens and it took me several holes to adjust. The course itself was in the best shape I have seen in many years. If you are able, this would be a great year to play a round at Osprey Links.

My group consisted of Dan, a first time hickory player, Chris, George and me. It was a great group because we all were easy going and focused on having fun. As Dan’s first time playing hickories was a very positive experience. He has a nice swing, but found that he swung to hard for many of the clubs. He did adjust and said he wanted to try hickories again. I told him to give me a call anytime and we could hit the links.

As we looped around Osprey Links, George and I rode in the same cart. We have known each other for a few years, but this is the first time we had a chance to play together. It was great fun. George has a dry sense of humour that fit well into our foursome. Additionally, his smooth controlled swing produced many great shots including closest to the pin on the second hole! I look forward to playing another round with George in the future.

The last member of our group was long hitting Chris. He is a tall gentlemen who easily generates a great deal of clubhead speed. Chris hit some long shots that would rival modern clubs. Chris only took up playing hickories last year and has demonstrated he has a knack for vintage clubs. I am sure I will see him at many other hickory events and look to it.

As with the modern game, waiting to hit our next shot is nothing new. As you can see, Ron has the perfect waiting stance. It is something that most experienced golfers have and perfect over the many years of playing.

Playing hickories at various golf clubs in the north does garner a great deal of interest. Many local players are eager to ask a question or two about playing golf with 100 year old golf clubs. Every experienced player of the GHSC and Northern Hickory Tour make themselves available to answer any question. The entire idea of the Tour is to promote the history of golf by playing with historic equipment. I am grateful that many of the GHSC members take time out of their schedule to play at Osprey Links and other local courses.

The other reason we like to play Osprey Links during this event is the experience. The golf course plays almost 5500 yards. That is a bit long for most hickory players, so we converted two of the long par 4s into par 5s for stableford scoring. It was a way to keep things interesting without struggling to score well.

To enhance our experience, Jeff and his staff are always there to make our event memorable. They are keen, focused, professional and ready with a smile. Our interaction with the Osprey Links Team is always great and is one of the draws to keep returning on the Northern Tour. Thanks Jeff!

Lastly, I want to congratulate Bruce on shooting a 26 using the Stableford scoring system. I finished second with a 24. There were many very close behind us and regardless of the scores, a great time was had by all.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!